The puffin is a bird that could find a place in the list of endangered species unless efforts are intensified to check the decline in the population. These birds thrive in certain parts of the UK, but in places like Norway and Iceland, they are under threat. Their numbers are dwindling and it is a matter of concern for the world of conservation.

Sky News reports that in Iceland, there are 25 percent fewer puffins today than there were in 2002 and conservationists are trying to establish reasons for such a state of affairs.

One of these could be their inability to adjust to pollution, climate change and loss of their regular source of food.

Saving the puffins is a priority

Seabird scientist Annette Fayet is actively involved in studying the puffins and is working in Skomer where a few colonies of these birds are thriving.

She is making use of latest technology like GPS tracking devices and cameras to monitor their activities. These will mostly focus on their food habits. The purpose is to go deep into various aspects of their lives and take suitable measures to ensure that they do not end up labeled as endangered species.

Annette Fayet admits that very little is known about their feeding pattern and will move on to Iceland and Norway after Skomer. The population in those countries is believed to be in millions which is several times more than that in Skomer, but the numbers are gradually reducing. In fact, they have been facing a zero breeding situation which is not a healthy sign. It is possible that plastic pollution and other man-made elements like climate change have some impact on the puffins. They have been designated an endangered species in 2015 and could get wiped out by the next century.

The puffins face extinction

According to BBC, puffins fall into the category of birds that face the risk of extinction. Atlantic puffins have been included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Data List of Threatened Species for birds. In the opinion of ecologists, they are vulnerable to pollution as well as inadequate food supply. One of the factors that could contribute to this is the non-availability of their prey like the sand eel. Then there is the effect of different types of pollution due to oil spills [VIDEO], and plastics in the oceans that are usually considered to be dangerous for marine lives. The population of Atlantic puffin is still quite high but the survival chance of the young ones is small and that could spell their doom.

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